The Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) has been crowned the winner of the Shift the Power Inter-University Debate, and will represent Malawi at the Pan-African Inter-University Debate later this month in Accra, Ghana.
LUANAR claimed the national title after defeating the University of Malawi (UNIMA) in a fiercely contested final held at the Bingu International Conference Centre in Lilongwe on Friday evening. The Agricultural University edged out their opponents by just three points — recording 222 points against UNIMA’s 219 — in a competition that focused on themes of local power and leadership.
The four students who carried LUANAR to victory were Malumbo Saka, Rachel Samson Bella, Grace Chomo, and Akim Jele. The quartet impressed judges throughout the competition with the quality of their arguments, their delivery, and their ability to think on their feet under pressure.
Their performance earned widespread praise from university leadership, government officials, and the debate organisers alike.
LUANAR Vice Chancellor Professor Emmanuel Kaunda could barely conceal his pride following the result, describing the achievement as a true reflection of the university’s character and academic strength.
“We are very, very excited about this award. We call LUANAR a university of endless possibilities, and this has just proved what we are. Our team of students have shown dedication and also their ability to state things clearly — and that is why they are winners,” said Prof. Kaunda.
To recognise the students’ achievement and motivate them ahead of the international competition, Prof. Kaunda announced on the spot that each member of the winning team would receive a cash prize of MK400,000. “We are going to give them MK400,000 each, just to motivate them and to say thank you very much, because they have put our university on the map,” he said.
Prof. Kaunda also used the occasion to highlight the academic calibre of LUANAR, noting that the university boasts over 110 lecturers holding PhDs. “The potential in our lecturers is very strategic. They are global leaders — some are even in government — and it shows that they are imparting powerful knowledge in our students. We are very proud of them,” he added.
LUANAR will now travel to Accra, Ghana, to compete at the Pan-African Inter-University Debate on March 30, 2026, where they will face national winners from Ghana and Zambia. The competition will serve as the grand finale of the Shift the Power debate series.
Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Bright Msaka, attended the final and commended both teams for their performances, while issuing a challenge to the LUANAR team to step up their preparation for the international stage.
“This is a competitive world, and nations are competing for global opportunities. Malawi must compete on the global stage and win. For us to do that, we must have citizens who have the capacity to compete effectively with citizens of other countries,” said the Minister.
While acknowledging the quality of the debate, the Minister offered constructive guidance to the winning team ahead of their Pan-African appearance. “The winning team deserves to win, but as they go onto the international stage, they need to prepare more — in terms of articulating their points and making sure their ideas are clearly presented rather than being a little disjointed. But overall, they did an excellent job,” he said.
The Minister also highlighted the broader value of debate as a tool for national development, saying he was particularly impressed by the critical thinking the competition cultivated in students. “What I found most interesting was the training for critical thinking and the ability to remain composed despite the challenges they may face in life,” he noted.
The Shift the Power Inter-University Debate was organised by the Tilitonse Foundation, a development organisation that believes meaningful progress must be driven from the grassroots up. Chief Executive Officer Robert White — who holds a Master of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Social Sciences — explained that the debate was deliberately designed to place young people at the centre of national development conversations.
“As Tilitonse Foundation, we believe that development work has to be grounded in the realities of the people. This debate was targeting the youths, and we believe that the youths should always be at the forefront in determining what the future of the country should be,” said White.
He added that the Foundation’s goal was to make university students think critically about the kind of development they want for Malawi — one built on local leadership and local resources.
“We wanted to bring the concept of development to the universities so that as young people go through the education system, they understand what this world is offering and are able to generate ideas that will shape how this country should be,” he said.
Looking ahead, White expressed optimism about the continuation of the initiative. “We have plans to continue this project beyond what has happened so far. But at the moment, we are focused on the Pan-African debate, which will be the grand finale,” he said.
The Shift the Power debate began with six of Malawi’s public universities: UNIMA, LUANAR, Catholic University of Malawi (CUNIMA), Mzuzu University (MZUNI), Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), and Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS).
In the first round, MUBAS, MZUNI, and CUNIMA faced off, with MZUNI and CUNIMA advancing to the next stage. Meanwhile, MUST, UNIMA, and LUANAR competed in round two, from which UNIMA and LUANAR progressed to the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, UNIMA overcame MZUNI while LUANAR dispatched CUNIMA, setting up the all-Lilongwe final between the two universities. LUANAR ultimately prevailed on the night, claiming the title and the honour of flying Malawi’s flag on the continental stage.
